Vegetable Garden, from the farmhouse to the terrace #meandgrandma1

Grandma’s vegetable garden

My passion for horticulture and vegetable garden stems from the teachings which, as a child, my grandmother passed on to me when I would go and spend the holidays with her by the sea.  The texts I have written are a tribute to her and I describe how I became a house farmer as a direct result of her being a farm worker. It all goes back to my experience at my grandparents’ house and their maritime gardens in Puglia. Then, nearly 5 years ago I started growing my own vegetable garden, on a terrace in Italy’s most avant-garde metropolis: Milan.

My horti-story

The house stood at the village entrance, on a clearing surrounded by olive and fig trees.  A walnut tree grew right up against the house’s left corner. Grandma used to say that the tree’s roots were so entwined with the house’s foundations that if the tree were to die or be cut down, the house would collapse.

The tree cast a fluid shadow.

Behind it stretched the hills, before it, the endless sea. My pupils would widen and take in the entire expanse. I spent hours looking at that sea.

In the village everybody had emerald green-grey eyes. I spent my holidays there from when I was born to the age of 18.

Eyes the colour of the sea.

A pergola ran across the entire courtyard and you could see the sky cut up in small pieces the shape of a vine leaf.

The vegetable garden was to the left of the house. It was on two levels; two outdoor terraces which could be reached using a stone staircase.

Grandpa had dug into the hill to create it. The stone staircase was also a creation of his.

It had all kinds of vegetables. Tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, peppers and chili peppers, rocket, salads of all colours, small watermelons, enormous creeping pumpkins spiralling up the walls and supports, bouquets of pumpkin flowers, courgettes, green beans, garlic and onions and more than my memory can hold.

I wonder what I am forgetting.

My current vegetable garden is laid out on the small terrace of my Milan home. I am lucky that the early 20th century building gets a lot of sunlight and is sheltered.  My grandma, the memories I have of her and the advice she gave me are the inspiration behind my urban horticulture. I started five years ago and now, at least during the summer, I hardly ever need to shop at the supermarket.

Am I facing north, south, east or west?

Understanding which direction my terrace was facing so as to define how I should structure my vegetable garden was easier than I expected. I used google earth but smartphones offer a number of possibilities.

Just like in a conventional garden, with a terrace it is vital to map out the spaces well and bear in mind the 3 elements which influence the growth of potted plants: sun, wind and humidity. If we observe the balcony or terrace where we intend to create our vegetable garden, we can understand the position’s strong and weak points.

The direction in which the balcony is exposed plays a fundamental role on the plants’ productivity. Too much sun is harmful, while a lack of light weakens the plants.

If the area is facing north, there will often not be enough light for growing tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.  On the other, hand berries (currants, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries) and salads seem to tolerate shaded areas.

A balcony completely facing south will be overly exposed to the sun. This will cause leaves to go yellow and will slow down plant growth. On high balconies especially, tomatoes and other fruits could be burnt by the sun.  One solution to the problem is to create some shade to reduce the impact of the sun. This can be done in variety of ways and using aesthetically appealing solutions.

Areas facing east and west get direct sunlight mornings and afternoons. Grandma used to say that these gardens yield the best results, and city gardens are no exception.

Deciding what to plant is a whole other issue.  When we plan a vegetable garden we need to know what vegetables we want to eat. Ensuring we have our regular supply of greens, sprouts, tomatoes and much more is quite simple.  I followed my grandma’s advice, but also learnt from a number of failures.

Today I can say that with a terrace measuring just 6 metres squared, I am completely self-sufficient in with my vegetable garden as far as vegetables are concerned, especially during the summer. Believe me, it is extremely satisfying, and my wallet appreciates it too!

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